My Apologies, Miss Swann
by Kchan88
Summary: PreDMC and AWE. Will and Elizabeth's engagement is going spendidly, until a night at a formal ball goes horribly wrong. Will the lovebirds be able to patch things up, or will they let a misunderstanding get the better of their love? A WE fic.
1. A Wonderful Life

My Apologies, Miss Swann

Chapter 1: A Wonderful Life

AN: Hey everyone! This is in response to a challenge posted on Hidetherum that I decided to take up. For those of you who are currently reading my long fic, "True Love: Forever Reunited," never fear, I'm working on the next chapter, and hopefully I'll be able to do both stories at once, since this one will be much shorter. I hope this meets expectations!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, or I really wouldn't be writing this, would I?

Life just couldn't get any better for William Turner. Six months had passed since his grand adventure with Captain Jack Sparrow, and six months had passed since he had started courting the intelligent, fiery, beautiful governor's daughter, Elizabeth Swann. He had proposed just a month ago, and she had instantly accepted. Mr. Brown had retired as well, leaving the blacksmith shop in Will's name, and a sign hung proudly outside the door, bearing his name.

Will walked with a spring in his step towards the Swann mansion, where he was due to have lunch with Elizabeth and her father. Though he still felt nervous around Governor Swann, Will was getting used to him, and it seemed that Governor Swann liked him more as time passed. It had been a busy morning in the shop, and Will had done the best he could to rid himself of the smell of soot and fire, and had changed out of his work clothes into nicer ones, but he still felt a bit self conscious.

But he tried not to let it get to him. The sun was shining and the palm trees were swaying in the gentle breeze, and he was on his way to have lunch with the girl he had loved since he was 12 years old. He still hardly believed just how much his life had turned around in the past half year. In fact, sometimes he felt the need to pinch himself, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He reached the front door, and hesitated a moment before knocking. The door came open abruptly, which startled Will a bit. Normally, it took the butler a few moments to come to the door. But when the door opened, he was not met with the face of the butler, but with the face of his fiancé.

"Hello," he said, a grin lighting up his face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of you answering the door?"

"I was waiting for you to arrive," she answered, gazing at him, a playful expression on her face. "I wanted to be the first to see you." She closed the door behind her, and Will raised his eyebrow.

"What are you doing, Elizabeth?" he asked, confused.

"This," she said as she leaned down to kiss him. He was surprised at first, but after a moment he responded with delight.

They broke apart after a moment, smiling like the lovebirds they were.

"We should really go inside," said Will, being the rational one. "Your father will be waiting." He cupped her face in his hands, planting one chaste kiss on her lips.

"All right," huffed Elizabeth, crossing her arms, but not able to stop from smiling.

As the couple walked in, Will couldn't help but admire his love. She looked simply lovely, donning a light pink dress with short sleeves, and her hair piled elegantly on the top of her head, with one single curl hanging down. As always, he still felt awkward inside the grand mansion, and as they entered the dining room, he felt his stomach turn. The long table was made of the best mahogany, and a crystal chandelier hung above, the sunlight from the window reflecting on it, and hitting the table. Will breathed in, the scent of delicious food filling his nostrils. Was that filet mignon? It certainly smelled like it.

"Well good afternoon Will," greeted Governor Swann, standing at his place to shake Will's hand, "How good to see you again."

"Thank you, Governor Swann," answered Will, giving his father- in-law-to-be a firm handshake, and looking him in the eye, trying to give off an aura of confidence. "It's good to see you as well."

Governor Swann sat at the head of the table, Elizabeth sat on one side, and Will on the other. Soon after they sat down, the cook brought in the exquisite food, and they began to eat.

"So how are things at the shop, Will?" asked Governor Swann. "Are you enjoying running it yourself?"

Will nodded. "Very much sir," he said, "I do need to find an apprentice, however."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," answered Governor Swann. "Elizabeth," he asked abruptly, "Have you told Will about the ball in two days time?"

At the mention of the word ball, Will nearly choked on his food, but managed to retain his composure, His eyes landed on Elizabeth, who had dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clang, and clapped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my," she said, "I must have forgotten. I've been so busy starting with the wedding plans and all, that it slipped my mind. But yes, Will, the Bennett family is holding a ball, and I was hoping you would accompany me. Would you?" she asked, a sparkle in her eyes, and her lips in their signature pout.

Will, who was terrified at the mere thought of this idea, but not wanting look foolish in front of the Governor, answered her in a very calm manner. "Of course I will accompany you, Elizabeth. It would be a pleasure."

"Wonderful," said Elizabeth, who could tell from his expression what he was really thinking, but decided not to say anything until they were alone. She caught Will's eye, letting him know that she could see through his façade.

"Well I'm glad that's settled then," said Governor Swann, oblivious to the exchange between the two, "It will be the first formal appearance the two of you have made since your engagement, so be prepared for a great deal of people coming up to speak with you."

That's bloody _lovely_, Will thought. He had to go to a ball with a great load of upper class people, all of whom would be interested in talking to him. At least, he thought, Elizabeth will be there, so hopefully it won't be as bad as he feared. He hoped so, anyway.

The conversation inevitably turned to the wedding, which made Will forget a little about the ball. Just the idea, that in six months time he would be marrying his soul mate, cheered him up immensely. After an hour or so, lunch was done, and Elizabeth made arrangements to come and visit him in the smithy that evening.

It was around 6 o'clock that night when Will heard a soft rap on the smithy door. He had worked hard into the afternoon, trying to push his worries about the ball away, and hadn't noticed the time pass by.

"Come in," he called. He looked up to see Elizabeth's face before him, and he put down the piece he was working on. "I must have let the time get away from me," he said, coming over to greet her. "I haven't had a chance to clean myself up."

"That's all right," answered Elizabeth with a wave of her hand. "You're fine."

He kissed her softly, and when they broke apart, she could read the worry in his eyes.

"Will, what's wrong? Are you concerned about the ball?" she asked, taking both of his hands in hers, and trying to comfort him.

"A little," said Will gruffly. "All those rich society people, and all the dancing, and everything; it just seems overwhelming. I want to do this for you, but I just want to make sure that I do it right."

"You'll do brilliantly Will," said Elizabeth, trying to reassure him. "I taught you how to dance when we were younger, remember? You were splendid, a natural."

"I know," responded Will. "I just hope I haven't forgotten how."

"You haven't," said Elizabeth, brushing a stray hair from his eyes. "And I'll make a deal with you; if I promise to practice dancing with you tomorrow, then you have to give me another sword lesson. What do you think?"

"If it means I get to spend more time with you," said Will, warmth and love glowing in his eyes, "Then it's a deal. As for now…" he drifted off, a light bulb going off in his head as he grabbed her hand, leading her out of the smithy, to places unknown.

"Will," she laughed, the sound echoing in the deserted streets, "Where in the heavens are you taking me?"

"Somewhere," answered will vaguely. "Just trust me. And close your eyes."

Will couldn't help but laugh as they ran, and it took them mere minutes to reach their destination. "All right," said Will, not letting go of Elizabeth's hand, "Open."

Elizabeth was greeted with a magnificent sight when her eyes popped open. Will had led her to his favorite place in Port Royal; a small, secluded part of the beach, where no ships were docked, and no houses built. A circle of palm trees surrounded it, and the aqua water of the Caribbean Sea floated up to their toes.

"Oh Will," said Elizabeth, looking breathless at the sight, "It's beautiful."

"That's not even the best part," responded Will, "Look up."

And look up she did. Diamond stars were strewn across the navy sky, and the full moon reflected upon the water, bathing Will and Elizabeth in its glow.

Will looked over at Elizabeth, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, loving the warmth that her body brought to his. He felt so content, and yet there was a feeling of ill foreboding in his stomach. He tried to shake it off, telling himself that there was nothing to fear. Everything was right with the world, what could possibly go wrong?

Elizabeth moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest, her hair fallen down from its elegant style due to the wind, and now fell freely down her back. This, Will thought, is what Heaven must be like.

"I love you Elizabeth," he whispered, treating her name as the most precious treasure. Jack Sparrow's words to him resounded in his ears as he did so. _"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." _ Jack, he thought, had never been more right.

She looked up at him, and her eyes shone with love. "I love you too Will."

AN: I know, not much action in this chapter, but trust me, there will be lots of it in the next chapter. I just wanted to set the tone and get the first chapter off the ground. I'm thinking this will be around five chapters or so. Well, I hope this was okay, and I hope your enjoyed it!


	2. Dangerous Waters

My Apologies, Miss Swann

Chapter 2: Dangerous Waters

The day of the ball came, and Will couldn't remember the last time he had felt this nervous. For some reason, all the insane things he had done over the course of his adventure with Jack Sparrow had not made him nearly as nervous as the idea of spending three hours with a large gaggle of wealthy aristocrats, and that included the moment he had told Elizabeth that he loved her. He glanced in the mirror, surveying himself, and feeling awkward. He was dressed in black trousers, a black jacket, a simple white shirt with a ruffle down the front, and black boots, his hair tied back neatly. He sincerely hoped that he was dressed well enough for the ball; since the shop had come into his ownership, he had been able to spend some extra money on new clothes, but he had no intention of wearing quite the finery that he had seen the rich men wear. It was just far too extravagant to him.

He heard a sudden, firm rap at the door, and went to answer, wondering who in the world could be coming into the shop now. He pulled the door open, slightly irritated, only to see none other than Commodore Norrington there, an unreadable expression on his face, as though he was not sure he should be doing whatever it was that he had come to do.

"Good evening Commodore," said Will with a slight bow. "How may I assist you?"

Norrington smiled, but Will could sense that something odd was going on; he just wasn't sure what it was, exactly.

"Well, as it turns out, Mr. Turner, the navy has lately discovered, due to an influx of new recruits, that we are in desperate need of a new crop of swords," responded Norrington, surveying the area around him, his fancy clothes looking very out of place in the smithy.

Will, who thought this was a very strange time to be coming by with this piece of news, attempted to respond politely.

"I'll be glad to so that for you sir," answered Will. "How many will you need?"

"Twenty," said Norrington, his tone crisp as a freshly ironed shirt. He did not look Will in the eye.

"All right then," said Will. "I shall start on them first thing tomorrow."

"Well," said Norrington, "There is the problem; we have two new recruits arriving tomorrow, and they shall need their swords. Could you have two done by tomorrow?"

Will looked at Norrington, his eyes widening slightly. Two swords done by tomorrow? That would take an immense amount of time! He would have to work through the night, and… the ball, how could he go to the ball? He would simply have to ask Norrington to extend the deadline; he could not miss the ball. He had promised Elizabeth, after all.

"Could the swords possibly be delayed until the day after tomorrow? I have an engagement to go to the ball tonight with Elizabeth, and it is rather important," said Will, trying to remain businesslike.

"If you cannot do it," prompted Norrington, "Then I will take the navy's business to Smith's blacksmith just down the street. What a loss that would be for you, Mr. Turner."

Will could feel the nervous sweat forming on his brow; if he lost the navy's business, it would put his finances in a bad way. Money was not that important among his priorities, but the navy was one of his biggest clients, and he was soon to be married, with Elizabeth, and soon, a family to support. He would have to try to work on the swords and then go to the ball afterwards, if that was even possible. His stomach did flips; he hated disappointing Elizabeth, and this he knew, would seriously disappoint her.

"I'll do them tonight Commodore," Will respond in a resigned tone. "Perhaps I will make it to the ball later."

"Yes," said Norrington, "I hope to see you there." With that, he left, leaving Will with the sense that he had done this on purpose.

He shuffled back to his room, and changed back into his work clothes, knowing full well that Elizabeth would be appearing in her carriage to pick him up in just ten minutes time. Her father would go on ahead of her, to get in a little early. He felt so horrible about disappointing her, that his insides writhed with nerves. He changed, and then stepped back into the smithy just in time to hear Elizabeth's knock.

"Come in," he said, trying to muster the tiniest bit of happiness into his voice. It didn't work.

"Hello Will," responded Elizabeth, coming over to kiss him, but stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of him. "Will, dare I ask why you are still in your work clothes when we should be leaving for the ball?" she asked in voice of forced calm, her hand resting on her hip. He couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she looked, with her pale blue dress, her honey colored curls falling down her back, and her brown eyes holding that mischievous sparkle.

"I can't go to the ball, Elizabeth," he said, his eyes connecting with hers as he took her hand gently in his. "Commodore Norrington came by and dropped off an order, a few of which must be done by tomorrow. If I don't finish, the navy will take its business elsewhere."

"But can you not finish them after the ball?" questioned Elizabeth, squeezing his hand, her eyes glowing with hope.

"No," said Will, shaking his head. "It takes time to finish swords, you know that. I would have refused the order, but if I lose the navy's business… I'm so sorry, Elizabeth." He looked up at her, his eyes begging her to understand.

She shook her head, pulling her hand from his grasp. "I know you're sorry, Will. But I don't think Norrington was serious about taking the navy's business elsewhere. Have you ever thought that perhaps he gave you this order at this time on purpose?"

"Whether or not he did it on purpose, Elizabeth, I can't risk losing their business. We will be married soon, and I can't have my finances going under." Will's serious gaze penetrated hers, and neither seemed to intend on backing down.

"I see," answered Elizabeth, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes looking highly irritated. "So, money is more important than spending time with me is it?"

"That's not what I said," answered Will in a patient tone, "Nothing is more important than spending time with you, but people do need money to survive. I won't go asking your father for money once we're married."

"Why do you always have to think about the future, and never live in the present, Will?" she questioned, her voice getting softer. "Even if the navy took its business elsewhere, which I doubt, the financial situation would work itself out. Please, come to the ball."

He sighed. "You don't understand, Elizabeth. You don't know what it's like to have to worry about money."

"Maybe I don't," responded Elizabeth, her voice rising, "But why must you always worry about it?"

"Because people starve without money, Elizabeth. People already talk about how I'm not good enough for you; can you imagine what they would say if I couldn't support you and our future family once we're married?" He furrowed his eyebrows in irritation; he had never really been angry with Elizabeth, and he didn't like the feeling.

"So you'd rather put our relationship and our time together at risk, instead of our future finances?" questioned Elizabeth, her eyes narrowing. "You promised me you would come to this ball, William Turner, and it meant a lot to me."

"It meant a lot to me as well, Elizabeth," said Will, "But you just don't understand the worries that money can bring upon a person. It isn't at the top of my list, but when it means I can't support my future wife, it begins to bother me." He moved to put a hand to her cheek, but she moved back, out of his reach.

"My father would be more than glad to assist you if you ever needed help…" But she was cut off. For the first time in their relationship, Will very uncharacteristically interrupted her.

"I will not ask your father for money," he said firmly, his teeth clenched. "It has taken long enough for him to really warm up to me, and I do not want to lose his esteem. The world is not as simple as you make it to be."

At this, Will could read the fury in Elizabeth's eyes. "Well everything is not as complicated as you seem to make it."

"We come from two different worlds…" Now it was Will's turn to be interrupted.

"Why must you always emphasize that?" shouted Elizabeth. "We're willing to reach into each other's worlds for the other. Or at least I thought we were. If you insist on putting obstacles in the way of our love…" she hesitated for a moment. "I might have too reconsider your marriage offer." She looked up at him, tears in her fuming eyes. It was clear she regretted what she said the instant she said it.

Will, who in his normal state would have come to his senses at this statement, was so angry, and so upset about not being able to go to the ball, that he said something he would always lament.

"Is that what you want?" asked Will, his voice a strange mixture of a shout and a whisper. "To call off the engagement we've both dreamed of since we were twelve years old?" His voice began to rise with each syllable, and he felt the tears, hot as fire, pricking his eyes, his dreams crashing around him.

"Of course that's not what I want!" she responded. "You know full well it isn't. But if it isn't going to work…"

"And all this over a ball," said Will, his tone unbelieving.

"It's about more than that," said Elizabeth. "It's about putting our relationship first."

"Elizabeth, I always put our relationship first. But I can't help that Norrington brought this order in. There's nothing in this world that I hate more than disappointing you!" he said loudly. "I love you, don't you know that?" he questioned, his voice getting softer.

"I love you too, Will," she said, and he knew she meant it. "But maybe that's just not enough." With that, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her and leaving only a trace of her flowery scent.

Though the voices inside his heart were screaming at him to go after her, all he could muster the energy to do was throw himself in a nearby chair. He was angry at Elizabeth, he was angry at Norrington, and he was angry at himself. He loved Elizabeth Swann more than he could ever have imagined loving anyone, and the thought of losing her… it was a knife would to his heart and soul to even think about such a thing. The more that he thought about it, the more it seemed like Norrington had done this on purpose, because he was envious of Will's relationship with Elizabeth. Will knew Norrington was a good man, and that in his heart of hearts, he had let Elizabeth go because he knew she wouldn't be happy married to him. But Norrington was also human, and now it seemed, he had succumbed to one of the ultimate human vices; jealousy. It was perfect timing, but now everything had spun completely out of control.

Will felt his heart beating so rapidly that is seemed as though it might jump out of his chest and run off. Not being able to even consider the idea that Elizabeth might call off the wedding, Will picked up the tools he needed to begin working on the swords, and poured all of his energy into the activity, hardly noticing the tears falling down his face, hot as the sword he pounded on. God, how he hadn't wanted to hurt her, hadn't meant to hurt her. Elizabeth was his fiancé, his best friend, his darling, and confidant, and he refused to let this argument ruin things for them. He thought about Norrington's threat to take the navy's business elsewhere, and realized that it was folly; the other blacksmith in town was not nearly as skilled at making swords, and hadn't been training for all the years that Will had. Damn, Will thought to himself, why did he have to be so rational all the time?

He slammed his tool down, and sat back down, the smoke from the fire filling his nostrils, and thoughts of his beloved swimming through his mind. He was going to find a way to apologize to Elizabeth if it killed him, his pride be damned.

AN: Hey everyone! I hope this chapter was okay! I'm so sorry for the immense wait between chapters, but school is insane. But the next chapter should be up soon; I can't leave our lovely couple in a spat for long! Oh, and for those of you reading True Love: Forever Reunited, I will be updating this weekend, as soon as I get out of school for Christmas break. Thanks for all the reviews everyone!


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